Chapter 246: Goodbyes

Chapter 246: Goodbyes

Chapter 246 - Goodbyes

Kien’s giggles filled the southern beach with a cheerful melancholy. The toddler chased a flock of pixies and a puppet dragon with outstretched fingers. Delicate mana constructs with wings of ice and fluid frames flew circles around him, leaving a trail of shimmering mist in the late afternoon air.

His eyes sparkled with wonder and delight. Each time one of the fairies tickled his nose, his laughter grew louder. He extended a chubby hand to grab the dragon’s tail, only for his fingers to slip right through the water construct. Kien lost his balance and landed with his knees on the sand.

“Are you okay?” Kai asked, dissipating the puppets into thin droplets of water and ice.

Kien sat stunned by the fall, then clapped his hands together and giggled. “Again! Again!”

Kai sighed with a fond smile. “What’s the magic word?”

“Pleeease, big brother.” Two large aquamarine pools above a trembling lip looked up at him. At that moment, Kai would have agreed to any request.

Spirits, he has gotten too cunning for his own good.

He didn’t fail to notice how Kien only called him big brother when he wanted something.

I’ll take what I can get.

“Fine, one more time. Then we need to go home before Mom starts to worry.” He shaped a new flock of fairies that had an uncanny resemblance to a particular god’s vessel. Thus, the chase between the sprites and his little brother began anew.

“You’re spoiling him.” Ele sat beside Kai, signaling it was probably time to go. “He’s never going to want to play with the other kids if he gets used to your shows.”

Her hand rested on her belly. She still hadn’t given him an answer about using the elixirs. With the increased trade and tourism, potions had become more widespread—if you could afford the inflated prices.

Kai sent an ice dragon to join the swarm of pixies. “What’s the harm in a little magic? He’ll have time to bond with other children when they also start talking.”

And when I’m not here.

It was his fault for failing to consider the consequences of enhancing Kien’s grade. Every other baby in the archipelago was born at the bottom of red. Being a couple of attributes higher was particularly noticeable with toddlers, though the difference would lessen with age. While no one would complain about the grade advantage once they grew up, he should have realized the issue sooner.

Flynn plopped down on his other side, cradling Hobbes in his arms. “I have to agree with Ele. You’re bribing him with your magic tricks.”

“Yeah, and the only reason you don’t do the same is because Shadow and Lightning don’t work as well. I’ve seen the sweets you slip to him whenever he looks at you with pleading eyes.”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” Flynn harrumphed. “That’s plain slander.”

“Are you worried you won’t be his favorite anymore?”

“Don't be ridiculous, Hobbes has already dethroned me from that position. Isn’t that right?” He scratched the silver furball’s neck. “I’m just making sure Kiki doesn’t get taken advantage of by sly and cunning individuals.”

“Meow.” The cat lazily licked his paw in agreement and sent a wave of smugness through the bond.

I feel like I’m being purposefully targeted.

Kai sent out a clacking ice crab to chase after his little brother. “It was you two who taught him Mana Sense. Now you can’t complain that he’s interested in magic.”

“Well, you do have a point. I thought he’d get bored after the first lesson, but he must’ve taken your stubbornness.” His sister sighed, throwing a glance at him. “How do you manage to control that many spells while talking with us?”

“By being a genius.” Kai flashed the two a lupine grin. Despite his casual demeanor, moving so many delicate spells was touching upon his limits. “And Split Mind also helps.”

It’s good training.

“How do I get that?” Flynn asked, feeding fish treats to the purring cat.

“Hmm, I think you need to perform at least half a dozen tasks at once. But it’s probably easier if you learn Multicasting first and use the Guide to upgrade it.”

The sun was sinking behind the Veeryd jungle and left them secluded in that corner of the beach. They mused about various skills while Kien played with magic puppets. Each second was precious—Kai didn’t know how many more afternoons they would have together.

“Well, I better go calm him down before dinner. Not everyone can be the fun brother.” His sister dusted off her skirt and bowed before Hobbes. “Could you help me convince Kiki to go home?”

The cat stretched in Flynn’s lap, watching the sand with horror and disgust. “Mrooow.”

“I won’t let a single grain touch your fur, I promise.” Ele extended her hands to let the cat jump in. She took on the thankless task of telling a hyperactive two-year-old that playtime was over.

Upon her arrival, Kai made his magic constructs fizzle into mist. Perhaps she was right, and he was spoiling his little brother a bit much. Knowing their time together was limited, Kai had tried to compensate with crafting memorable experiences.

“Hmm...” His mom eyed his half-answer with a raised eyebrow but didn’t insist. “When do you plan on leaving? The moons will bring a high tide in two days.”

“Tonight. Flynn has bought two tickets on the cruiser for Higharbor.”

“I see. Then we must hurry.” Alana marched out of the kitchen, her pans already forgotten.

“Where to?”

She looked at him weirdly. “To the market, where else? You’ll need proper supplies for your journey. And what if they don’t have any of the foods you like on the continent? You know the stories, only Kahali knows how those people truly live.”

“Mom, I’ve already bought everything I need. I’m sure people on the mainland eat just fine.”

“Don’t be silly.” She poked his ribs and chest like inspecting a disappointing cut of meat. “You’re all skin and bones. I know you never eat properly without me watching over your shoulder. Tell me how many supplies can you fit in that ring of yours?”

Kai suppressed a groan and surrendered to the inevitable. “About an average backpack. I’ve already stored plenty of snacks.” He could let his mom stuff him like a piñata if it helped her feel more secure.

The rest of the day flew in a flurry of cooking and packing an unreasonable number of meals. He had already said his goodbyes to Moui and Ele days prior, leaving them a bag of gold each. Both vehemently refused till Kai showed them the piles of mesars in his spatial closet and reminded them of Kien and the coming baby.

His little brother sat in the living room; he was the only one Kai had yet to speak with.

“You’re leaving?” Kien’s brows furrowed, trying to wrap his head around the concept.

“Yes, I’m going to travel to the mainland. Just like our big sister Kea.”

His eyes widened at the revelation. “You’re gonna fight scary monsters too?”

“Yeah, something like that. The continent is very big.” Kai stretched his arms to emphasize the point. “I’m going to explore the territories of the Republic and decide from there.”

“Can I come too?”

“One day. But first, you must grow big and strong like me, otherwise the scary monsters will gobble you up.”

Kien chewed his thumb for comfort, looking a little worried. “You’ll be back, big brother?”

“Of course I’ll be back. And I’ll tell you all about the great adventures and ferocious beasts that I’ve faced there. I’ve also prepared something else for you.”

“A present?” Kien exclaimed with a hopeful gaze.

“Yes. A present. I made it myself just for you.” Kai emptied his pockets, vainly searching for his gift. “Now where did I put that thing?” He reached behind Kien’s ear and took out his very own masterpiece in a whirl of snowflakes.

“Here it is!” Kai offered the cube to his brother with the solemnity of a sacred relic. He had spent weeks carving the wood and designing more than a hundred interlocking enchantments. Virya’s puzzle was the main inspiration, though his present was more similar to a Rubik's Cube and only had seven simple riddles to solve.

I wonder how long Virya took to build hers, perhaps I didn’t give her enough credit.

Kien glanced at the runes and shook the cube as if he expected more snowflakes to fly. “It’s a wood box.” He said dryly, scrunching his nose at countless hours of work and dedication.

Why do children need to be so cruel?

He forced himself to keep a jolly attitude. “Yes, it’s a wooden box, but it’s not just any wooden box.” He leaned in to whisper, “I’ve poured all of my magic into this cube.”

“It does magic?” Kien shook it harder.

Kai grabbed the toddler before he could slam his masterpiece against a chair. “Please stop. You see, the magic is trapped inside and to free it you must play a game.”

“A game?”

He nodded. “A very special game. So you must use your special sight to play it. You remember the one that Ele and Uncle Flynn showed you?”

Kai spent the next half an hour guiding Kien through the first puzzle by connecting similar runes. He also made clear the magic hidden within would be very sad if the puzzle wasn’t opened properly.

“Ready to go?” Flynn walked into the living room with two bags and patted his back. “I’m sure Kiki will try for a week before he breaks it open. What did you even put inside?”

“That’s a secret.”

Alana, Ele and Moui waited by the doorway for one final goodbye. After a quick round of hugs, they ran for the docks. They had a ship for Higharbor to catch and a princess to meet. Leaving the archipelago would be a tad bit harder than he led his family to believe.